BULGARIA'S rock monuments can be viewed in all their glory at the National History Museum.
Photographer Ivan Hristov gathered material for his exhibition during research in the area of Ancient Thrace and other regions rich in exquisite rock archaeology.
Hristov, assistant doctor in Archaeology at the museum, told The Sofia Echo: "My most cherished wish was to convey the attractiveness of these timeless holy places.
"I wanted to immortalise places where human foot has not had the chance to enjoy a moment of privacy and to feel the virginity of nature."
The Natural Bulgarian Rock Sanctuaries exhibition presents 50 images of rock sanctuaries dating from 1 BC.
A compilation of Hristov's breathtaking images also appears in his book, The Rock Sanctuaries in Mountainous Thrace, published in English. The book comprises a review of the source material and the historiography of the cult places in Ancient Thrace, maps and plans. "Because I did not want to talk about this natural beauty, I decided simply to illustrate it in my book," he said. The final chapter is a review of the problems of cult continuity - the role which the preserved rock sanctuaries have played in the life of Bulgarians.
Most of Hristov's photographs are of rock sanctuaries in the Balkan Range (Stara Planina), the Rhodope Mountains, the southern Black Sea coastal region, and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Hristov is also presenting the research aspect of his work, on the architectural peculiarities and other properties of the three main types of sanctuaries: megaliths, sanctuaries situated beside peaks and rocks in the interior of Thrace, and roadside megaliths.
Recalling the research process which spawned the exhibition he said: "One bright memory is a picture which made me feel at ease and relaxed in the middle of the night in Stara Planina some years ago. We were on our back to the archaeological camp near Pleven and, feeling tired, decided to stop for a moment at the Mountain Rescue Station. There was a very big moon that night and the whole of the reserve was mysteriously lit and made the mountain look silver. I stopped feeling exhausted."
He said: "I was attached to the mountains as a child. Being born in a small town at the foot of the Rila Mountains you just cannot avoid becoming either a good skier or a mountaineer. I became both. This is a way for me to become close to the rock itself and to read from its face.
"These rocks bear information about past and grandeur in the form of cuts and shapes and that is why they provoke treasure-hunters to sometimes destroy them. The problem of preserving the Balkan sanctuaries is quite burning. We have to protect what has been left by our predecessors because that reveals our roots and past."
The National History Museum is in Boyana - 16 Vitoshko Lale Street. To get there you can take Tram No. 2 - get off at the last stop or the route taxi No. 21, which stops outside it.
Hristov, assistant doctor in Archaeology at the museum, told The Sofia Echo: "My most cherished wish was to convey the attractiveness of these timeless holy places.
"I wanted to immortalise places where human foot has not had the chance to enjoy a moment of privacy and to feel the virginity of nature."
The Natural Bulgarian Rock Sanctuaries exhibition presents 50 images of rock sanctuaries dating from 1 BC.
A compilation of Hristov's breathtaking images also appears in his book, The Rock Sanctuaries in Mountainous Thrace, published in English. The book comprises a review of the source material and the historiography of the cult places in Ancient Thrace, maps and plans. "Because I did not want to talk about this natural beauty, I decided simply to illustrate it in my book," he said. The final chapter is a review of the problems of cult continuity - the role which the preserved rock sanctuaries have played in the life of Bulgarians.
Most of Hristov's photographs are of rock sanctuaries in the Balkan Range (Stara Planina), the Rhodope Mountains, the southern Black Sea coastal region, and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Hristov is also presenting the research aspect of his work, on the architectural peculiarities and other properties of the three main types of sanctuaries: megaliths, sanctuaries situated beside peaks and rocks in the interior of Thrace, and roadside megaliths.
Recalling the research process which spawned the exhibition he said: "One bright memory is a picture which made me feel at ease and relaxed in the middle of the night in Stara Planina some years ago. We were on our back to the archaeological camp near Pleven and, feeling tired, decided to stop for a moment at the Mountain Rescue Station. There was a very big moon that night and the whole of the reserve was mysteriously lit and made the mountain look silver. I stopped feeling exhausted."
He said: "I was attached to the mountains as a child. Being born in a small town at the foot of the Rila Mountains you just cannot avoid becoming either a good skier or a mountaineer. I became both. This is a way for me to become close to the rock itself and to read from its face.
"These rocks bear information about past and grandeur in the form of cuts and shapes and that is why they provoke treasure-hunters to sometimes destroy them. The problem of preserving the Balkan sanctuaries is quite burning. We have to protect what has been left by our predecessors because that reveals our roots and past."
The National History Museum is in Boyana - 16 Vitoshko Lale Street. To get there you can take Tram No. 2 - get off at the last stop or the route taxi No. 21, which stops outside it.
